What’s in a name?

There are a handful of things I like about the term “cloud computing.”  It’s kinda ephemeral, mysterious.   Like a soft Monet watercolor.  Clouds themselves are evocative, and sometimes they scatter to reveal sunlight.  That said, most of the time they gather in a menacing formation to wreck havoc and misery – which, not coincidentally, is a more apt metaphor for the term in the context of the IT world.

I also like “cloud computing” because of the limitless pun options.  As a writer, this is pure gold.  So, you can expect a future blog post entitled, “Hey hey you you get off of my cloud!”  Or another: “Cloudy with a Chance of Infrastructure Optimization.”   And it goes without saying that I’m very excited to, somehow, incorporate one of my favorite Simon and Garfunkel songs in a post.  Ahhh someday.

But, shockingly, not everyone agrees with me.  Some corporate hot shots – what do they know about mystery?  ephemeral things? – apparently aren’t stoked on the term, and caused a minor buzz on the blogosphere.  In fact, Information Week asked their readers to submit their own suggestions.  Take a look at the list and hold your head, cuz it’s gonna spin.

For what it’s worth no one asked me for my suggestions.